Dental-floss holder



G. C. HENERLAU. DENTAL FLOSS HOLDER. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 15, 1920.

Patented Feb. 15, 1921'.

ATTQ EY socket 11 111 the bottom of GEORGE C. HENERLAU, F NEWARK, NEWJERSEY.

DENTAL-FY1033 HOLDER.

essees.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 15, 1921.

Application filed June 15, 1920. Serial No. 389,081.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, i nonsn a citizen of the United titates, of Newark,county of Essex, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in DentahFloss Holders, of which the followin is aspecification,

This vention relates to an improved holder for dental floss in which thehandle acts as a holder for spool of floss and which is equipped witharms that are adapted to hold a strand of said floss at a materialcistance transversely from said handle so that said strand'can be easilypassed between the teeth.

The invention further consists in certain details of construction, aswill be more fully set forth hereinafter and finally embodied in theclaims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in whichFigure 1 is a top view of one form of my improved dental floss holder.Fig. 2 is a side view thereof with the bottom part broken away. Fig. 3is a back view of the device shown in Figs.

1 and 2, and 1 is a similar view of the upper part thereof, but showinga modified form of construction. 7

The device comprises a handle 10 which includes a means for holdin aspool of floss, the preferred form being by providing a the handle andfull length, into adapted to be C. HENERLAU, and a resident extendingsubstantially its which a spool 12 of floss is seated, a strand of thefloss, as at 13, being preferably pulled from the inside of the spool,as is commonly done, and passed out through the upper end let of a slot15 in the side of the open end of the handle, a cap 16 being slid on andheld by friction or by other means, the cap, however, being shorter thanthe length of the slot 15 so that the end 1 1 is not covered and thestrand 13 can pass from the handle when the cap is in place.

On the top of the handle is an extension 17 which is in the form of astem, preferably tapered toward its upper end, and is provided at thetop with arms 18 and 19, which extend substantially in line but inopposite directions and have their respective ends 20 and 21 extendingto the front, these being substantially parallel and approximately atright angles to the axis of the stem 17. The extremities of the ends 20and 21 are enlarged, as at 22, thi, being done to provide a smoothsurface so that when the device is in the mouth there is no chance ofany sharp edges causing discomfort or injury to the tender membrane inthe mouth.

These extremities are provided with saw cuts 23, these saw cuts beinghorizontal and substantially in line. Where the arms 18 and 19 arejoined to the stem 17 there is a depression 24: which forms shoulders oneach side thereof.

The strand is held on the device so that it lies substantially closethereto, that is, does not extend beyond the general conformation of thedevice, and in order to hold the strand close to said stem 1 providemeans such as the knobs 25 which have a contracted portion adjacent tothe stem, so that a strand wound around the knobs will be well seated inthis contracted portion and held by friction therein against dislodgmentunder nor mal strain.

The strand usually is passed out of the opening 1 1 and then around oneof the knobs, in the drawing this being the knob to the right looking atFig. 3, then through the depression 2 1 and over to the outside of theextremity of the end 21, and to provide for an additional seating andholding of said strand 1 may provide saw cuts 26 which extend in thedirection of the depression 24:. The strand is passed through the sawcut in the end 21, then through the saw cut 23 in the extremity of theend 21, then straight across to the saw cut in the extremity of the 20.This part that extends straight across, identified by the numeral 27,

vice in cleaning between the teeth. The strand then passes through thesaw cut in the end 20 and back through the depression 2%, then over theother knob 25. I may fasten the end of the strand substantially close tothe handle by suitable means, the form shown consisting of a depressedpart 28 havinc: a lip 29 extending over the depression,

hole 1 1, the strand re-threaded on the holder,

is the part that is used in the operation of the de-v the excess cut 01fon the knife edge 31, and the device is again ready 'for use.

In Fig. 4 I show a modification in which the stem is roughened, as at32, and tapered, and a sleeve 33 can be slid down on said taperedportion to tightly bind the parts of the strand extending from thehandle to the a ing substantially at right angles from the 7 saidstrand.

arms 18 and 19 so that a substa, tially fiat or straight side of thearms engages the cheek or other parts of the mouth and not a projectingor obliquely inclined poin ed suport. 'Such's readin also arovides foran e l V V ample length of usable strand 2?.

It will be evident that-changes can be made in the details of thedevice, or in the assembling ofthe parts, without departing from thescope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A dental floss holder comprising a handle having means for holding aspool or" dental floss, a stem in extension of the handle, arms on theend or the stem, the arms extending in opposite directions from the stemwith their ends formed to extend substantially parallel with each otherand at right angles to the oppositely arranged parts, the extremities ofthe arms having saw cuts therein, a strand of floss being passed fromthe spool along the stem and in the saw cuts of the extremities, andmeans for holding said strand close to said stem, said means permittingthe ready removal'ot 2A dental floss holder comprising a handle havingmeans for holding a spool of dental floss, a stem 1n extension oi saidhandle, arms extending in opposite directions from theend of the stemand having a depression forming shoulders where the arms meet, the endsor" the arms extending substantially parallel to each other and at rightangles to the axis of the stem, the extremities of the arms havingalined saw cuts,

receiving a spool of dental floss and having an opening in the backthrough which a strand from the spool can be fed, a stem in extension ofthe handle, arms extending in opposite directions from the top of thestem and having a depression where the arms meet, the ends ofthe armsbeing bent forward and substantially parallel and having saw cuts intheir extremities, inclined saw cuts in the tops of said ends andextending from the outer edges or said ends toward the depression 111the arms,'whereby a strand of floss can be led from the opening in thehandle and through the depression, then through the saw cuts, backthrough the depression, and means for holding the end of said strandclose tosaid stem and taut.

l. A dental floss holder comprising a handle having a socket in itsbottom end for receiving a spool of dental floss and having an openingin the back through which a strand from the spool can be fed, a stem inextension of the handle, arms extending in opposite directions from thetop of the stem and having a depression where the arms meet, the ends ofthe arms being bent r'or- Ward and substantially parallel and having sawcuts in their extremities, inclined saw cuts in the tops of said endsand GXtQIiCliIlg from the outer edges of said ends toward the depressionin the arms, whereby a strand of loss can be led from the opening in thehandle and through the depression, then through the saw cuts, backthrough the depression, and knobs extending from opposite sides of thestem around which. the

strand is adapted to be passed so as to hold said strand taut and closeto the stem In testimonyithat I claim the foregoing, I have hereto setmy hand, this 14th day of June, 1920.

enon'eno. HENERLAU.

